Chester w



(NoMoael.)

1 C. W. CLARK.

PLOW.

Patented Aug. 1.2, 1890.

o., msnmnfow. n. c.

UNI-TED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE CHESTER W. CLARK, OF MISI-IAWAKA, INDIANA.

PLOW.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 434,245, dated Augustl2, i890.

Application filed November l, 1889. Serial No, 328,970. (No model.) l

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHESTER W. CLARK, of Mishawaka, St. Joseph county,in the State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements inWheeled Plows; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andaccurate'description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, whereiny Figure l is a perspective view of myplow in operative position. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of thecontrolling-gear enlarged from Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective View ofthe leading furrow-wheel gear enlarged from Fig. l, the tongue-latchbeing thrown back out of engagement. Figwl is a section showing thetongue-latch in engagement to lock the tongue. Fig. 5 is a sectionalelevation of a lock for the caster-colter. Fig. 6 4is a plan of thelandwheel mounting and the leading furrowwheel gear. Fig. 7 is aperspective View of an adjustable mount for the leading furrowwheelgear, whereby said leading-wheel may be set to gage the width of thefurrow. Fig. Sis a perspective view showing the action of the automaticlock. Y

The principal objects of my invention are,

first, to lighten the plow by dispensing with the weight of thewheel-frame, &c., which is usually employed with plows of this class;second, to adapt the plowy to turn a corner squarely or run a furrowstraight with equal facility by making' the caster furrow-wheels to lockand unlock automatically, according as the plow runs a straight furrowor turns at a corner; third, to lock the colter when running a straightfurrow to steady the plow and, fourth, to apply a parallel movement tothe leading furrow-wheel, whereby as it is raised or lowered itscaster-spindle will remain vertical.

A is the plow, and B is its beam, both of suitable style and material.In practice I have used steel beams satisfactorily. The furrow-wheel Cis mounted as a caster-wheel at the extremity of the arm D, which isfastened to the beam bymeans of acast-iron shoe and clip E. Theland-wheel F is on the extremity of the crank-axle G, which is mountedin bearing-boxes II, which are secured opposite the middle of the beam,one to the beam itself and one at the extremity of the bracket I, whichis bolted to the beam. The inner extremity of the axle G projects fromits box H and is provided with the collar J, which is rigidlyattached tosaid axle. The levers K L are mounted on said axle as a center. Thespring M is attached at one end -to the collar J, and at its free end itis attached to the lever L, so that its tension 'is always exerted tothrow said lever forward and to depress the land-wheel F. When saidlever is locked in position,'the weight of the machine, together ywiththe weight of the driver, so far as the same rests on the landwheel,tends to depress the machine, and is in effect the lsanne as a tendencyto raise the wheel. This tendency is resisted by the spring M, and theresiliency of said spring, together with the inertia of the machine andrider, permits said land-wheel to rise -under sudden pressure, as inpassing over an obstruction, without affecting the level of the plow.

The tension of the spring M maybe changed in various ways, butconveniently by causing it to approach or recede from the collar J atits extremity or point of attachment by means of a bolt P or somesimilar means.

The lever L is provided with an ordinary lock-bolt Q (shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2) and a segment-rack R, so that by adjusting said leverforward or backward the wheel F may be raised or lowered, according asthe plow is in the ground, oris raised above itfor transportation.

When the plow is to be moved from place to place, it is important thatthe share should be raised above the ground, and this is done bydepressing the land-wheel F andthe leading furrow-wheel S, which has itshousings attached to the beam B near its forward end. The set of theplow is also regulated asto depth of plowing by the elevation ordepression of the leading furrow-wheel, and whatever may be itselevation it is important that its caster pivot or spindle shall remainvertical. I have therefore attached the parallel rodTabove thecrank-axle U, upon which the caster-pivot V and its sleeve-box W iscarried. The required parallelism may bc at.- tained by means of aseries of levers coupled together and fulcrumed on the beam by means ofa train of segment-gears centered on the .beam and by other knownmechanical expe- IOO dients, which do not require particular de-`scription here, because after calling attention to the desirability ofit and one way of accomplishing it any skilled mechanic will be able tosupply other ways.

As shown in the drawings, the tubular bracket a is bolted to the side ofthe beam and is provided at its outer end with the vertical arm or studl). The inner end of the crank-axle rod U passes through said tubularbracket and has attached to it the lever C, and this lever is connectedwith the handlever K by means of the rod (Z. The lever K is providedwith a lock-bolt and segmentraek e, as is common, and by it the positionof the leading caster-wheel S is adj usted and controlled. The spindleV, upon which thecasterwheel arm f swivels, is carried by the sleeve IV,through which the crank-rod U passes. Said sleeve is provided with astud or arm r, and the parallel rod T is attached at one end to saidstud g and at the other end to the corresponding stud l).

When the plow is ruiming straight, as in turning a furrow, it isadvantageous to have the leading and trailing furrow-wheelsrestrainedfrom swinging on their easter-pivots, as it tends to steadyand hold the plow toits furrow; but when turning at the corner of theland it is necessary that said wheels shall be free to swing, becauseone or the other of said wheels would otherwise be compelled to drag onthe ground. I have therefore provided a lock whereby said wheels mayberetained in plane of advance when the plow is moving on a straight lineand permitted to swing when theplow is turning at the corner, and toavoid the inconvenience of attention to this locking and unlocking Ihave preferred to make the same automatic" by means of the lockingtongueh on the collar fr', the same having i11- elined sides and lits into acorresponding notch in the hub of the arm f. Vhen in action, the weightof the machine, the driver, and the load of earth on the plowshare issufficient to keep the locking-tongue in its notch with sufficient forceto maintain the wheels in plane; but when there is a change of directionof advance the leverage of the wheel-arms f is sufficient to force thetongues out of the notches, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and byfull lilies in Fig. 8, and the wheels may then swing free until themachine comes again into the plane of advance. The colter K is madetdswing for the same reason; but when the machine is moving in astraight line it is better that the colter shall be held rigidly in theplane of advance, and for that reason I also provide it with a lock,which may be automatic or positive, as preferred. In Fig. 5 I have showna positive locking-bolt my, cont-rolled by a spring n in one directionandthe foot-lever p in the other direction.

A tongue is desirable to aid in controlling the plow while beingtransported and in backing the plow, if for any reason it shall benecessary. iVhile passing along the road and in backing the plow, thetongue requires to be fixed against lateral movement as to the machine;but in turning corners, die., and in regular plowing it requires to befree to move laterally, and sometimes it is desirable to dispense withthe tongue entirely. To meet all these conditions, I attach to the frontend of the beam a vertical tubular post q, and Iprovide a tongue-plate rwith a spindle .s t0 enter said tubular post, as shown in Figs. 3 andLt. The tongue is hinged to said tongue-plate for movements in avertical plane and is free to swing laterally on the spindle s, while itmaybe rea-dilyremoved entirely bylifting said spindle out of the tubularpost. A latch t is attached to the tongue-plate, and when the tongue isto be free said latch is thrown over back or otherwise removed from engagemcnt, and when the tongue is to be restrained from lateral movementsaid latch is thrown over forward into engagement with some proper partor attachment of the post q. In Fig. 4 the latch is shown in suchengagement.`

It is sometimes desirable to vary the width of the furrow, and as thiswidth may be determined and gaged by the leading furrow-- wheel it maytherefore be made adjustable as to its distance from the beam, andtothis endl find it convenient to make the sleeveboX a separatefromitssupporting-bracket and movable endwise thereon. It may be clampedfast in the desired position by a clip u 0r other convenient device,substantially as shown in Fig. 7.

Having described my invention, I claiml. In a wheeled plow, a leadingeaster-wheel,

a pivoted supporting-arm whereby said wheel maybe raised or lowered, andmeans whereby the caster-spindle of said wheel may be automaticallymaintained in an operative position at all levels.

2. In a wheeled plow, a front caster-wheel S and its sleeve-box W',provided with the stud b, the crank-rod U, and the sleeve whereby saidcrank-rod is supported, provided with the stud Z2, combined with theparn allel rod T, for the purpose set forth.

3. A wheeled plowing-machine provided with a mold-board plow, the casterfurrowwheel, and an automatic gravity-lock for the same consisting of atongue 7i` and correspending recess in a flat surface s0 related thatsaid tongue is forced into said recess and retained therein by thegravity of the plow, added to the weight of the driver and the loadcarried by the mold-board, to hold said wheel in position while the plowis advancing in a straight line and automatically release the same bythe riding of said tongue out of said recess and upon said ilat surfacewhen the plow turns at the corner.

4:. In a wheeled plow, a easter-colter, combined with means controllableat will by the driver on his seat, whereby said colter may be lockedagainst lateral swing on its casterpivot or permitted to swing freely,as desired.

5. In a wheel-plow, a caster-collier, with a IOC pivot for said colterworking in the socket thereof, combined with a locking-bolt m,

adapted to engage and lock the swinging colter-arm, and a lever wherebysaid bolt may be lifted out of action at will.

6. In a wheeled plow, a tongue hinged to the beams thereof to movevertically and laterally, combined with the latch t, hinged tothevtongue-plate and adapted to engage with some proper part connectedwith the beam, substantially as set forth'.

7. In a wheeled plow, a hollow post q, rigidly attached to the front endof the beam, combined with the tongue-plate r, provided with the spindle3, adapted to enter said post, whereby the tongue is rendered readilydetachable, as set forth.

V8. In a Wheeled plow, the yielding crankaxle G, having the land-wheel Fhung on the crank end, combined With the collar J, rigidly attached tothe opposite end of said axle, the tension-spring M, and the hand-leverL, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a wheeled plow, the yielding crankaxle G to carry the land-wheel,the collar J, rigidly attached to said axle, the spring M, andhand-leverL, combined with the tensionbolt P, whereby the tension ofsaid spring may be varied, as set forth.

l0. In a wheeled plow, a caster fu rrow-wheel mounted on a crank-rod U,whereby said Wheel may be raised or lowered,'combined with thesleeve-box W, made separate from the support for the spindle V, saidspindle being adjustable on said sleeve-box W, substantially as setforth.

1l. In a'wheeled plow, the combination of thefollowing members, viz: abeam-frame having a mold-board plow attached thereto, the casterfurrow-wheels, the automatic gravity-locks for said Wheels, and parallelmembers for the leading caster-wheel, as set forth.

l2. In a wheeled plow, the combination of the following members, viz: abeam-frame having a mold-board plow attached thereto and acaster-colter, a lock for the same, a

tongue hinged for vertical and lateral movep ments, a latch to lock saidtongue against lateral movement, a crank-axle and land- Wheel carriedthereon, a hand-lever to control said crank-axle, and a spring M,attached to and coiled around the axis of said axle, as set forth.

CHESTER WV. CLARK.

